Arthur Honegger

Arthur Honegger was part of the Group des Six: an informal group of composer founded by Jean Cocteau, even though the individual members (of which Honegger, Milhaud and Poulenc were the most important) had little in common with each other. One of Honegger's best known works is modern-mechanic Pacific 231, in which the dynamics of an accelerating locomotive are depicted. A more personally engaged work is his Third Symphony, which bears the nickname Liturgique. With this work, Honegger wished to show his aversion against the modern, mechanised world. One of his most impressive works, however, is his Une Cantate de Noël, in which a potpourri of christmas carols breaks through the darkness.